Draft-equalizer



A. BEATON.

DRAFT EQUALIZER.

' APPLICATION FILED mm, 1921.

1,392,738. Patented Oct. 4,1921.

"r as r; ssic ANGUS reason, or VULCAN, ALBERTA, CANADA.

DRAFT-EQUALIZER,

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ANGUS BEATON, a subject of the King of Great Britain, a resident of the town of Vulcan, Province of Alberta, Dominion of Canada, have invented certain new and usefulv Improvements in Draft- Equalizers, of which the following is a specification.

- This invention relates to draft equalizers and more particularly to a device which is intended for use when there are two or more horses in the lead and which will equalize the draft on all the horses. It also has for one of its objects to provide a device which will lower the draft on the pole team, remove any pressure from the back bands and belly bands on the horses forming the pole team and which will lower the traces of the pole team thereby preventing any rubbing of these members against the sides of the horses forming the pole team.

Further objects are to make a direct draft from the lead team or teams to the wagon to which the pole team is hitched, to eliminate lead rods and whifiletrees, for the lead teams, to provide a device that is simple and not liable to go out of repair, and generally to adapt the several parts to better perform the functions required of them.

The invention consists essentially of the improved construction particularly described in the following specification and accompanying drawings forming part of the same and set forth in the appended claim.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of my improved draft equalizer.

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the same.

Fig. 3 is an end view of the same.

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary view of a hame with the improved equalizer attached thereto.

Like characters of reference indicate cor responding figures;

Referring to the drawings; A designates the improved device comprising a metal tug 10 preferably made of steel and having an enlarged end 11, the lower extremity of which is curved inwardly as shown in Fig. 3.

The tug 10 has its end 12 looped and designed to receive a bolt 13 engaging two short arms 14: and 15 carried by the hame B; a nut 16* being screwed over the thread- Specificatioh of Letters Patent;

ed end of the bolt' to retain the tug firmly attached to the hame but allowingof radial movement on the bolt 13.

The upper extremity'of the enlarged end 11 of the tug is provided with a slot 16 de signed to receive the looped end of the backband while the lower and curved extremity of the said enlarged end is also provided with a slot 17 adapted to engage the belly band.

A member 18 approximately half the length of the tug 10 is riveted as at 19 to the middle part thereof and the said member 18, intermediate of its length is curved outwardly and inwardly to provide a part 20 extending parallel to the tug 10 and in spaced relation therefrom.

In this space is received the end of a curved arm or equalizer 21 made of strong and durable steel which is riveted to the enlarged end 11 of the tug and the member 18. The curved arm 21 extends downwardly and is provided with a plurality of orifices 22, the purpose of which will be hereinafter made clear.

One side of the tug 10 may be provided with a lining of leather 28 in order to prevent the horses side from being bruised in its contact with the metallic tug.

A trace 23 is hitched to the topmost orifice 22 and to the swingletree 24 of the wagon as clearly shown in Fig. 2.

Should a second team of horses be employed in front of the pole team, the trace 25 thereof is hitched to the lower orifice 22.

If a third team of horses be placed in front, the trace is hitched to the orifice 22 immediately over that engaging the trace 25; and the remaining orifices are used in a similar manner if there are more horses pulling the load.

The traces 25 hitched to the tug on the front team may be supported by a strap 26 carried by a ring 27 carried by the hame B.

hen several teams of horses are pulling a wagon the pole team is usually the one making the first pull forward and on such a movement the curved arm or equalizer 21 will be drawn backward which will tighten the traces of the front horses hitched to the equalizer 21. 7

It will be thus shown that the front horses on their first move forward will operate a Patented Oct. a, 1921. Application filedflanuary 7, 1921. Serial No. 435,685.

direct pull on the load, as well as the pole horses, through the medium of the equalizer 21. r 7

As many changes could be made in the above construction and many widely difierent embodiments of my invention within the scope of the claim constructed without departing from the spirit or scope thereof, it is intended that all matter contained in the accompanying specification and drawings shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

What I claim as my invention is: p

A draft equalizer for use with a pole team comprising a tug pivotally mounted on the its free end bent so as to extend parallel to the tug, a curved arm having one end extending between the free end ofjsaid mem- 20 her and the tug and provided at its central portion with means to receive the end of a trace of the pole team and provided with means below the means that receive said trace of the pole team for receiving the 25 ends of similar traces of the lead teams and means for pivotally mounting said arm.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand in the presence of two witnesses.

ANGUS BEATON. 

